Children Of Social Class Research Articles

Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Oral Health Problems among Children in Spain

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore the association between symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oral health in a representative sample of the Spanish population aged 6–14 years. We also examined the contribution of several sociodemographic and behavioral determinants of children/adolescents and their family environment. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 3,402 subjects aged between 6 and 14 years from the Spanish National Health Survey. The presence of ADHD symptoms was determined using the self-reported hyperactivity/inattention subscale of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Oral health was assessed using five indicators: caries, extraction, restorations, gingival bleeding, and the presence of teeth in poor condition (e.g., broken or misaligned). Logistic regressions were used to examine the association between the presence of ADHD symptoms and oral health indicators. These models were adjusted for sociodemographic factors, lifestyle variables, and oral hygiene behaviors relating to both the children and their parents. Results: Compared to children without ADHD symptoms, children with ADHD symptoms had a higher risk of caries (fully adjusted odds ratio: 2.16; 95% confidence interval: 1.66–2.82), extraction (1.42; 1.09–1.85), restoration (1.47; 1.19–1.82) and gingival bleeding (1.64; 1.11–2.41). The increased risk of caries was maintained when the analyses were restricted to middle/high social class families and children with low sugar intake, good oral hygiene behaviors and regular dental visits. Conclusions: Children with ADHD symptoms in Spain had worse oral health indicators than those without ADHD symptoms. Our results suggest that the association of ADHD symptoms with caries was independent of socioeconomic level, cariogenic diet, frequency of toothbrushing, and dental visits.

Young Romans: Status, Dress, and Gender

The demographics of the Roman world suggest that it was a world full of children. Demographers argue that in order simply to maintain population levels in a period where life expectancy was very short by modern standards, and infant mortality high, a woman should, on average, have six children, on the assumption that not all would live to adulthood. Despite much research in the last fifty years, children still remain partly invisible in the Roman world. This is primarily because they leave little evidence produced by themselves and are seen through the prism of adult eyes. Inevitably, given the nature of the evidence, we know more about the children of the upper classes than the lower, and more about boys than girls. Looking at the clothing of children presents particular difficulties precisely because there were very few garments that were specifically made for them. A comment by a Roman jurist on the nature of clothing in testamentary bequests lists first the clothing for the paterfamilias (togas, tunics, cloaks), then defines children’s clothing as: “clothes used only for this purpose, such as togae praetextae, coats, chlamydes and cloaks which we provide for our sons” (Digest 34.2.23.2). The list for sons essentially replicated the list of their father’s garments, and this idea of the child dressed in standard adult garments sized down for them is evidenced in much of the surviving iconography. The Roman wardrobe reflected that of most pre-industrial societies, in that, for most people, possessing more than one change of clothes would be a luxury. Everyday dress consisted of a tunic, which could be covered by a cloak or mantle; this outfit was worn by everyone, wealthy or poor, free or unfree, adult or child. Ancient authors were not particularly interested in their children’s clothing practices. The one exception to this would be the laying aside of the toga praetexta (the toga of childhood) and the assumption of the toga virilis (toga of manhood) as part of the transition to adulthood for male Roman citizens. Artistic representations from the private sphere or from funerary contexts are more rewarding for examining children’s clothing. Ordinary children and images of childhood are not frequent motifs in Roman public art. It is more useful to turn to private memorials, where clothed children of different ages are depicted in a range of contexts. A child could be a symbol of status; a freeborn son, in particular, would be a prestigious addition to a family. The higher social worth of boys compared to girls had an impact on their upbringing, education, and wider life experience. Another sign of the gendered view of children is that in artistic representations, boys are more commonly depicted than girls. From the first century BC, when the habit of erecting memorials became more socially diffused, children were more often included in the visual vocabulary. At first, they are normally seen included in family groups, but by the first century AD, children became subjects in their own right: on reliefs, funerary altars, and sarcophagi. In spite of memorials being related to a deceased person or persons, children were depicted as alive and healthy, and such images constitute an important source for how Roman children of various ages and social classes would have been dressed.

Screening and determinant of suspected developmental delays among Egyptian preschool-aged children: a cross-sectional national community-based study

BackgroundEarly childhood life is critical for optimal development and is the foundation of future well-being. Genetic, sociocultural, and environmental factors are important determinants of child development.AimThe objectives were to screen for suspected developmental delays (DDs) among Egyptian preschool children, and to explore the determinants of these delays based on sociodemographic, epidemiological, maternal, and child perinatal risk factors.MethodsA national Egyptian cross-sectional developmental screening of a representative sample of preschool children (21,316 children) aged 12 to 71 months. The Revised Denver Prescreening Developmental Questionnaire (R-PDQ) followed by the Denver Developmental Screening Test, 2nd edition (DDST) was used.ResultsEach screened child manifested at least one of six developmental categories. Either typical development, gross motor delay (GM), fine motor adaptive delay (FMA), Language delay (L), Personal-social delay (PS), or multiple DDs. The prevalence of preschool children with at least one DD was 6.4%, while 4.5% had multiple DDs. Developmental language delay was the most prevalent, affecting 4.2% of children. The least affected domain was GM (1.9% of children). Boys were more likely to have DD than girls. Children in urban communities were more likely to have at least one DD than those in rural areas (OR = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.14–1.42), and children of middle social class than of low or high social class (OR = 1.49, 95%CI: 1.30–1.70 & OR = 1.40, 95%CI: 1.23–1.59 respectively). The strong perinatal predictors for at least one DD were children with a history of postnatal convulsions (OR = 2.68, 95%CI: 1.97–3.64), low birth weight (OR = 2.06, 95%CI: 1.69–2.52), or history of postnatal cyanosis (OR = 1.77, 95%CI: 1.26–2.49) and mothers had any health problem during pregnancy (OR = 1.73, 95%CI: 1.44–2.07). Higher paternal and maternal education decreased the odds of having any DD by 43% (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.47–0.68) and 31% (OR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.58–0.82) respectively.ConclusionThis study demonstrates a considerable attempt to assess the types and the prevalence of DD among preschool children in Egypt. Perinatal factors are among the most common determinants of DD in preschool children and the majority could be preventable risk factors.

Trends in the academic achievement gap between high and low social class children: The case of Brazil

Since student achievement is related to educational attainment and to adult earnings, there is considerable interest in within-country achievement gaps between different social class groups, how they change over time, and the possible sources of those changes. In this paper, we analyze academic achievement gaps over a ten year period in Brazil. Our results suggest that social class inequality in public school student achievement on the Prova Brasil national test increased significantly among Brazilian 5th graders in the period 2007–2017, and that all of this increase was before 2013--indeed, mostly between 2011 and 2013. To the contrary, social class achievement inequality among 9th graders barely increased in 2007–2017, and that small increase appears to have occurred mainly in earlier years. We find that this increased achievement inequality among 5th graders was partly the result of increased inequality between schools with students of higher and lower average school class, and among municipalities with higher and lower income per capita and differing educational policies. Yet, a significant part of the increase is also related to changes in the within-school achievement gaps.

Reduction of Socio-economic Diversity through Standardisation of Language: Reflections and Challenges

Could the standardisation of language narrow disparities in achievement in education amongst people of different social class, and within and across ethnicities and genders, and could this have implications for injustices and inequities in wider society? In analysing socio-economic diversity through the lens of its correlation with language, this paper examines how the standardisation of language could be used as a means to reduce such diversity. It examines links between the standardisation of language, and the reduction of inequalities between socio-economic groups, in regard to achievement in education. It also examines the correlation between language and social class, and propensity towards being a perpetrator and/or victim of hostility and violence, as well as their relationship with health and life expectancy etc. The paper further examines the effect of the use of technology and teaching methods on the acquisition of knowledge, and how this impacts upon children of different social class within the learning environment. In order to help address some of these questions, an auto-ethnographic methodology is adopted with the aim of being able to explore, and reflect upon, personal experience, and to be able to weave greater understanding and connections between apparently disparate factors related to diversity, all through the lens of language and its relationship to aspects of culture relating to social class. Amongst its conclusions, the paper argues that the standardisation and enhancement of spoken language would narrow the disparities in academic achievement between socio-economic groups. The paper also argues that in order to challenge inequitable power structures which have arisen from historical injustices, then rather than concentrating on under-representation of groups of people within high status positions in society, the focus of diversity should be directed towards challenging the over representation, in a range of settings, of groups of people within low status positions in society. Keywords: auto-ethnography, socio-economic diversity, language, Standard English, inequality

British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900: Re-Tuning the History of Childhood by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre

Reviewed by: British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900: Re-Tuning the History of Childhood by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre Elizabeth Massa Hoiem (bio) British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900: Re-Tuning the History of Childhood, by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre. Routledge, 2016. Inspired by the author's love of hymn singing, British Hymn Books for Children, 1800–1900 convincingly establishes the cultural importance of English hymns and their ability to empower children. "Hymn singing permeated Victorian children's lives," not only in church "but throughout the week in schools and in the home" (3). The composition of hymn texts and tunes and the publication of children's hymnals reached their peak during the nineteenth century, with popular hymnals printing over one hundred editions (3). Nevertheless, children's hymns of this period have received little attention, dismissed by scholars as inferior, sentimental, or didactic. Arguing that children's hymn singing invoked spontaneous pleasure and encouraged active, empowering, creative play, Clapp-Itnyre pronounces, "it is time for a reassessment of children's nineteenth-century hymns" (6). She spectacularly delivers by surveying over 16,000 children's hymns, using book history methods to determine hymn popularity, accompanied by close-readings of individual texts and tunes, to challenge (or "re-tune") common assumptions about nineteenth-century children's literature and culture. This is the second monograph on Victorian literature and music by Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, displaying an impressive interdisciplinary understanding of poetic and musical forms. The rich social context and colorful anecdotes provided in each chapter recall to mind Richard Altick's The English Common Reader, which fascinated me as a graduate student with its everyday details, such as the difficulty of reading in a single-room apartment by dearly purchased candlelight. In the same way, British Hymn Books for Children defamiliarizes hymn singing by describing how it used to work. The modern experience of reading hymns and musical notes from an individual church hymnal, for example, first became common practice during the Victorian period, as Protestant churches gradually embraced congregational singing, instead of [End Page 241] having the clerk read out lines, leading to a surge in music education in schools. But far from being limited to church, hymn singing held a place in the daily life (and death) of nineteenth-century children. Middle-class families typically sang hymns together on a daily basis, while children reportedly memorized dozens of hymns, one claiming over one hundred before age five. An essential children's literacy, hymn singing "touched all aspects of nineteenth-century childhood" (3). Taking a nuanced approach, Clapp-Itnyre argues in chapter 1 that hymns united English children of different genders and social classes with a "common language" (53). Requiring neither book ownership, literacy, nor fees to enjoy, hymn singing could "[speak] to all genders, classes, situations, and denominations," and hymns were composed for "boys and girls without distinction" (49). Children also "sang many of the same hymns" (51). The first and second person ("I" or "we") and "inclusive language" favored in children's hymns allowed hymns originating in books for one niche audience to spread throughout a diverse cross-section of English and American hymnals (52). Yet despite these commonalities, hymn singing practices reflected the sharp social divisions of nineteenth-century English society. Children of different classes enjoyed vastly different opportunities for leisure time and school, during which they learned and sang hymns. Breaking down hymnals by the different schools and churches named in their titles, Clapp-Itnyre identifies the aesthetic styles and subject matter favored by (or written for) singers of different social classes. Her meticulous research reveals what kind of hymns were composed for charity orphan hymnals, as opposed to working-class Sunday school hymnals, or which were sung in middle-class homes by the piano and which by church choirs in public schools attended by privileged male children, complete with charts showing the reprinting of hymns over time. (Readers can hear these hymns sung by children on the author's website.) Building on this overview, chapter 2 calls into question the typical grand narratives of how children's literature changed over the course of the nineteenth century (e.g., instruction to delight; "Evangelical didacticism" to "Romantic idealism"). Instead...

СHILDREN’S GRAVE AT THE CEMETERY OF THE CHERNYAKHIV CULTURE VOYTENKI

The children’s graves at the cemeteries of the Chernyakhiv / Sоntana de Mureş culture are the relevant problem for the archaeology of the period. Children’s burials at the cemeteries of this culture have been the subject of special study for more than fifteen years. At the cemetery Voytenky 15 graves of children of various ages were discovered (graves 6, 34, 50, 72, 79, 85, 94, 97, 99, 103, 126, 217, 218, 220, 231). Their analysis is envisaged within the framework of the project on the reconstruction of the social structure of the population of the Chernyakhiv culture on the basis of the cemetery Voytenki.
 The publication of materials from grave 231 of the cemetery Voytenki includes archaeological and anthropological analysis. Inventory features of the complex allow determination of the social status of the child and his family.
 The burial’s inventory includes 24 vessels. A specific feature of this complex is the presence of an amphora. The burial belongs to the phase «C» after the relative chronology of the «classical» Chernyakhiv culture horizon in the Dnepr-Do­netsk forest-steppe (after M. Lyubichev). This correlates with stages C3, C3/D1 by J. Tejral, and in absolute dates can be attributed to the third quarter of the 4th century.
 The age of the child determined as (1.5) 2—2.5 years. Pathological lesions on the skeleton diagnosed as traces of scurvy, probably anemia, and viral or bacterial meningitis. Their presence permits raise the question of adaptation of the children of particular social class to their living conditions. Presumably, some adults of this social stratum belonged to the mobile part of the population or were in close contact with migrants. Migrations could be seen as one of the reasons, led to the emergence of new infections, which primarily affected children.
 The grave with the amphora testifies to the strong economic position of the family, whose child was buried. This family probably participated in an interregional exchange.

Prevalence of acute respiratory infections among under five children in a rural area of Kozhikode district, Kerala

Background: Although childhood acute respiratory infections (ARI) is a significant public health problem in India, robust epidemiological data on its prevalence is not available. This study was done to estimate the prevalence of ARI in under five children and study the factors responsible for the same in a rural area of Kozhikode District.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in 386 under-5 children in Kunnamangalam panchayat of Kozhikode district from June 2015 to June 2016. Employing cluster sampling technique, data regarding socio demographic factors, prevalence of ARI and selected factors were collected using a pre tested semi structured questionnaire.Results: The overall prevalence of ARI in children was 31.9 %. Prevalence was slightly higher in boys (32.7%) than in girls (31.1%). The prevalence of ARI was more in lower social class children (36.1%), compared to those from upper social class (26.3%). ARI was higher in children living in overcrowded houses (40.2%), poorly ventilated houses (37.8%), houses in which there were no smoke outlets (43.1%), houses having pets (58.6%). Underweight children were also found to have higher rates of ARI (46.5%). Binary logistic regression revealed that after adjusting for all other factors, age less than 1 year (OR 0.48, p=0.02) and nuclear family (OR 0.10, p=0.01) are significant independent protective factors for ARI.Conclusions: Among under-5 children, younger age and membership in a nuclear family are significant protective factors for ARI.

Screen time, body mass index and neck circumference: is there an association with social class in children?

Abstract Life habits during childhood are decisive for future health conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate screen time and anthropometry of children enrolled in municipal schools in the interior of the State of São Paulo. A cross-sectional study was carried out with students from 9 to 10 years of age from a city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. A socioeconomic questionnaire validated by the Brazilian Association of Research Companies was used, containing also the determination of screen time (TV, video game, computer and cell phone), recommended by the Pediatrics Society. Anthropometry data was collected according to the Lohmam Anthropometric Standardization Reference Manual and compared to the z-score level with the WHO 2007. For the statistical analysis, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square or Fisher’s Exact tests were used.The confidence level was at 95%. Out of the 703 schoolchildren assessed, 97.44% had adequate height, 59.17% eutrophy BMI and 30.44% overweight. There was a correlation between BMI and non-stratified social class (p=0.038) and BMI and neck circumference (NC) (p<0.001).The z-score of the BMI showed that children with weight loss stayed longer watching TV (p=0.0486). The gender comparison showed that girls of higher social class stayed longer at the computer (p=0.0351) and using the cell phone (p<0.0001),and boys playing videogame (p=0.0005). Overweight and weight loss shown in the positive correlation between BMI and NC, although on opposite sides, were associated with screen time and especially with TV in children of higher social class.

Maternal behavior as a risk factor for growth and development retardation in infant and toddlers up to 18 months

Background: early 18 months of life characterized by the most rapid growth and development and mainly affected by mother behavior and traits Objectives: to promote child development to improve the quality of life for our children in the future through assessment of child development in the first eighteen months of life, to identify factors affecting early childhood development. Subjects and Methods: cross section study takes infant from birth to 18 month, attending Family Unit at Kafr Mohamed Ismail, Fakous, Sharkia governorate. Sample size 140 infant, using structured growth and development sheet and structured mother’s interview. Result: The study found that male children retardation were 13.2%and female children retardation were 15.3%, artificially feed children were 100% retarded , low social class children were 100% retarded, children of illiterate mother 100% were retarded , Breast feeding, rapid response to child needs when crying, stimulating activities during feeding the child and giving different types of toys are factors having good impact on child development with significant difference. Conclusion: Program for early detection of developmental delay through screening of children attending PHC and family medicine units are important to assess development risk factor and Maternal stimulation for promoting early child development through better attachment and communication with infants.

Urinary schistosomiasis in Boko Haram-related internally displaced Nigerian children

We aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis among internally displaced children in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Data on the children's sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors for schistosomiasis were collected, over a period of six months, using an interview-based questionnaire. Ten milliliter of urine sample was collected from each child and investigated for hematuria and ova of Schistosoma haematobium. Two hundred and thirty-eight of 385 children had urinary schistosomiasis (62.0%); of this, 125 (53.0%) were males, with a male:female ratio of 1.1:1. Urinary schistosomiasis was the most common among 5-9 years' age group, low social class children, and children of farmers, P <0.05. Stunting was significantly associated with urinary schistosomiasis, P <0.05. It is concluded that urinary schistosomiasis in children was more frequently associated with stunting and low social class. It was a very common disease among internally displaced children in Nigeria.

Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Pre-primary and Primary School Pupils in Uyo, Nigeria

Autism Spectrum Disorders are a group of neuro-developmental disorders prevalent in school children. There is no known study on its prevalence among children in mainstream primary schools in our environment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of autism spectrum disorders among children in Uyo, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,641 pupils aged 3-11 years from twelve primary schools in Uyo. The Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-second edition (GARS-2) and Gilliam Asperger’s Disorder Scale (GADS) were completed by both the class teachers and the parents. Student ‘t’ test was used to compare means and chi square to compare proportion. p-value&lt;0.05 was considered significant. Twenty- nine had Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) giving a prevalence rate of 1.1%. Nineteen had pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), 8 had autistic disorder (AD) and 2 had Asperger’s disorder (AsD). ASD was commoner in males, young age group (3-5 years) and children of upper social class. It was concluded that ASD is prevalent among children in mainstream primary schools in Uyo, Nigeria. Appropriate healthcare policy should be put in place to cater for the special needs of these children.

Dietary Behaviour Pattern and Physical Activity in Overweight and Obese Egyptian Mothers: Relationships with Their Children's Body Mass Index.

BACKGROUND:Obesity and related morbidity increase in Egyptian women and their children. A better understanding of dietary and activity patterns is needed to reduce obesity prevalence.AIM:The present study aimed to assess dietary patterns and physical activity in Egyptian overweight and obese mothers and to explore its relationships with their children’s body mass index (BMI).SUBJECTS AND METHODS:This descriptive case-control study was conducted at the National Research Center. The study included a sample of 64 overweight and obese mothers and 75 children, compared with apparently healthy non-obese mothers and their children of matched age and social class. Tested questionnaires were used to collect information of the studied subjects.RESULTS:A statistically significantly higher incidence of unemployment, large family size was observed in overweight & obese women compared to controls (P < 0.05). Those women who consumed vegetables more than 3 times a week were less likely to be overweight or obese (P < 0.05). No significant association were detected between mothers’ physical activity, dietary behaviour variables and children’s BMI except for consuming beverages with added sugar (95%CI = 0.074-0.985, P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Improper dietary patterns, nonworking mothers and big family size are associated with obesity among Egyptian women. Emphasis should be given to increasing physical activity and encourage healthier diets among Egyptian mothers and their children.

Explaining social class inequalities in educational achievement in the UK: quantifying the contribution of social class differences in school ‘effectiveness’

There are large social class inequalities in educational achievement in the UK. This paper quantifies the contribution of one mechanism to the production of these inequalities: social class differences in school ‘effectiveness’, where ‘effectiveness’ refers to a school’s impact on pupils’ educational achievement (relative to other schools). It builds on the small number of existing studies, whilst overcoming a number of their limitations. It estimates the effectiveness of the (state) schools attended between ages 7/8 and 10/11 by a cohort of children born in the 1990s in Avon, a former county of England, and then compares the effectiveness of the schools attended by children from different social classes. It finds that ‘higher’ social class children attend more effective schools, on average, and that these social class differences in average school effectiveness between ages 7/8 and 10/11 account for 7% of social class differences in average educational achievement age 10/11. This is not a causal analysis, however.

Quantity of Maternal Time and Child and Adolescent Development: Response to Kalil and Mayer (2016) and to Waldfogel (2016)

Our study of the association between maternal time and developmental outcomes of children and adolescents in the April 2015 issue of Journal of Marriage and Family (Milkie, Nomaguchi, & Denny, 2015a) has drawn much attention, which reflects how strongly researchers and the public care about the relationship between mothers' time and children's well-being. We appreciate the commentaries by Waldfogel (2016) and Kalil and Mayer (2016). Their insights will stimulate research that will further our understanding of maternal and parental time and their relationship to children's and adolescents' well-being.Waldfogel urges investigation of variations in the role of maternal time in influencing child outcomes by social and demographic contexts and suggests examining alternatives to maternal time. We agree and expand on her suggestions in this response. Kalil and Mayer argue that the theoretical framework sets up a straw man. We disagree and briefly articulate how our study derives from aspects of intensive-mothering ideology. Kalil and Mayer emphasize the centrality of mothers' social statuses in shaping children's development and the importance of quality activities for children. These are entirely consistent our conclusions. They are misguided about the interpretation of or quantity of time, however. This is understandable given the complexity of assessing children's time with mothers.In responding to these commentaries, we recap intensive-mothering ideology and the assumptions implied by it. Then we discuss the theoretical and methodological challenges that the commentaries identify, which future research should consider carefully: distinguishing between quantity time and quality of time or activities; conceptualizing children's time mothers compared to alternative time use arrangements; social class and time children; measurement and selection issues; variations by child age, family structure, and child gender; and the role of maternal employment.Intensive Mothering and Its AssumptionsIntensive-mothering ideology places children at the center of mothers' lives and suggests that they require vast amounts of time, effort, and energy from individual mothers (Hallstein, 2006; Hays, 1996). The idea that mothers' time is more valuable for children than is time other caregivers is also an aspect of intensive mothering. Although Kalil and Mayer contend that lower socioeconomic status (SES) mothers do not believe in intensive mothering, studies have shown that they are subject to the same cultural ideal of motherhood as are higher SES mothers (Hays, 1996). Lower SES mothers express the importance of being there and sacrifice as the virtue of good mothering (Damaske, 2011; Edin & Kefalas, 2005; Macdonald, 2009), some of the central elements of intensive-mothering ideology. Regardless of variations in how much people buy into this ideology, it is dominant in the United States (Hays, 1996). Moreover, the debates on maternal employment and the rich history of studying its effects on children deriving from sociological and developmental theories are closely linked to the assumption that the lower quantity of mothers' time allocations to child care is detrimental for children (Bianchi, 2000).Kalil and Mayer repeatedly question our statement on the consequences of intensive mothering ideology for mothers' distress, a topic that motivated the present analysis but was not the focus of it. It is important to distinguish between the ideology of intensive mothering, the actual practice of parenting, and feelings about time children. Intensive-mothering ideology places very high standards on mothers in terms of the appropriate amount of time they should spend their children, which may link to the fact that nearly half of mothers feel as if they are not spending enough time children (Milkie, Mattingly, Nomaguchi, Bianchi, & Robinson, 2004). Importantly, our prior work shows that the feeling of a time deficit children is a strong predictor of poorer maternal well-being (Milkie, Kendig, Nomaguchi, & Denny, 2010; Nomaguchi, Milkie, & Bianchi, 2005). …

Time trends in socio-economic inequalities in the lack of access to dental services among children in Spain 1987-2011.

IntroductionAdult oral health is predicted by oral health in childhood. Prevention improves oral health in childhood and, consequently in adulthood, so substantial cost savings can be derived from prevention. The burden of oral disease is particularly high for disadvantaged and poor population groups in both developing and developed countries. Therefore, an appropriate and egalitarian access to dental care becomes a desirable objective if children’s dental health is to be promoted irrespective of socioeconomic status. The aim of this research is to analyse inequalities in the lack of access to dental care services for children in the Spanish National Health System by socio-economic group over the period 1987–2011.MethodsPooled data from eight editions of the Spanish National Health Survey for the years 1987–2011, as well as contextual data on state dental programmes are used. Logistic regressions are used to examine the related factors to the probability of not having ever visited the dentist among children between 6 and 14 years old. Our lack of access variable pays particular attention to the socioeconomic level of children’s household.ResultsThe mean probability of having never been to the dentist falls considerably from 49.5% in 1987 to 8.4% in 2011. Analysis by socioeconomic level indicates that, in 1987, the probability of not having ever gone to the dentist is more than two times higher for children in the unskilled manual social class than for those in the upper non-manual social class (odds ratio 2.35). And this difference is not reduced significantly throughout the period analysed, rather it increases as in 1993 (odds of 2.39) and 2006 (odds of 3.03) to end in 2011 slightly below than in 1987 (odds ratio 1.80).ConclusionThere has been a reduction in children’s lack of access to dentists in Spain over the period 1987–2011. However, this reduction has not corrected the socioeconomic inequalities in children’s access to dentists in Spain.

Crianças de frações de classe média que apresentam baixo desempenho na escola: como são julgadas? - doi: 10.4025/imagenseduc.v3i3.21550

Opinions of teachers and families on some middle class students in the fourth grade with low academic performance are debated. The essay examines the factors related to inadequate academic performance of children in a private school. Bourdieu is the main reference for current study since the philosopher´s works highlight the impossibility of analyzing school inequalities as merely the products of supposedly natural inequalities among people. This is due to the fact that, within the educational system, an implicit process that generates differences exists. Moreover, Lahire and Charlot, who emphasize the importanceof analyzing marginal school performances of children of certain social classes, state that results go beyond the statistical stance. Data were collected during the activities of students and in interviews with teachers and mothers. Analyses showed that the children produced results below teachers´ expectations. Performance was regarded as a phenomenon generated within school circumstances and justified by demonstrations related to innate characteristics or factors influenced by the children´s middle-class environment.

What is ‘good’ teaching? Teacher beliefs and practices about their teaching

There has been increasing attention on teacher ‘quality’ and effectiveness internationally. There is, however, little research documenting experienced teachers' classroom practices and their beliefs on why they teach the way they do. Drawing on a mixed methodological study of practices and beliefs across 12 primary and secondary schools, this paper documents the importance of passion, reflection, planning, love for children and the social and moral dimension to Irish teachers' constructs of good teaching. Contradictions are evident, however, between teacher beliefs and observation of their practice, the latter mediated by the sociocultural context of the school (gender, social class and migrant children), teacher expectations for different types of students and leadership practices within the school. Debates over ‘quality’ teaching need to take account of these broader contextual and sociocultural factors which influence how teachers construct and do teaching.

Health related quality of life of children with epilepsy in Egypt

Background/aim Children with epilepsy are at an increased risk of poor health-related quality of life even in the absence of active seizures. The study was undertaken to assess the health-related quality of life and its predictors in children with epilepsy, comparing the relationship between different types of seizures and health-related quality of life in Egypt. Patients/methods This cross sectional case control study included 50 epileptic children aged 8-12 years, with a mean age of 9.35 ± 1.59 years and a male to female ratio of 1.8 : 1. They were divided into two subgroups according to the types of seizures: 26 patients with generalized seizures in subgroup I and 24 patients with partial seizures in subgroup II, and 50 apparently healthy children of matched age, sex, and social class were included as the control group. The Arabic version of the 23-item Pediatric quality of life Generic Core Scale (Parents' scale) was applied to evaluate the health-related quality of life of both patients and healthy controls. Results Diminished health-related quality of life is a common feature of epilepsy. Highly significant lower overall quality of life scores of all functioning domains of health-related quality of life were present between patients' subgroups (P Conclusion Epileptic patients were found to be at a higher risk of developing impaired quality of life with lower mean scores of all domains of quality of life, especially patients with generalized, frequent fits, those on polytherapy, and patients with a younger age of seizure onset and a longer duration of illness. The scope of management of epilepsy should include optimal seizure control and improvement of the health-related quality of life of the affected children.

Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Adolescents: Association with Socioeconomic Status and Exposure to Supermarkets and Fast Food Outlets

Background. We investigated differences in family social class associations between food outlet exposure and fruit and vegetable intake. Methods. We supplemented data from the 2006 Health Behavior in School Aged Children Study (n = 6, 096) with geocoded food outlet information surrounding schools (n = 80). We used multilevel logistic regression to examine associations between infrequent fruit and vegetable intake and supermarket and fast food outlet concentration, stratified by family social class. Results. Boys and older children were most likely to eat fruit and vegetables infrequently. High fast food outlet exposure was marginally significant for low fruit intake in low social class children only. Children from middle and low social class backgrounds attending schools with combined high fast food outlet/low supermarket exposure were most likely to report infrequent fruit intake (ORlow = 1.60; CI: 1.02–2.45; ORmid = 1.40; CI: 1.03–190). Children from low social class backgrounds were also likely to report infrequent vegetable intake, given low supermarket and high fast food outlet exposure (OR = 1.79; CI: 0.99–3.21). Conclusion. Our findings suggest social class modifies the relationship between intake and food outlet concentration. School interventions improving fruit and vegetable intake should consider neighborhood surroundings, targetting older children from low social class backgrounds.